Semiconductor wafers are typically formed by cutting an ingot with a wire saw. These ingots are often made of silicon or other semiconductor or solar grade material. The ingot is connected to a structure of the wire saw by a bond beam and an ingot holder. The ingot is bonded with adhesive to the bond beam, and the bond beam is in turn bonded with adhesive to the ingot holder. The ingot holder is connected by any suitable fastening system to the wire saw structure.
In operation, the ingot is contacted by a web of moving wires in the wire saw that slice the ingot into a plurality of wafers. The bond beam is then connected to a hoist and the wafers are lowered onto a cart.
Wafers cut by known saws may have surface defects that cause the wafers to have a surface profile or warp that deviates from set standards. In order to ameliorate the deviating wafer warp, such wafers may be subject to additional processing steps. These steps are time-consuming and costly. Moreover, known wire saws are not operable to adjust the shape and/or warp of the surfaces of the wafers cut from the ingot by the wire saws due to frame displacement of the wire saw. Thus, there exists a need for a more efficient and effective system to control the surface profile or warp of wafers cut in a wire saw.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.